New Cake's... Any News?

Wondering if anyone knows if Fisher will be updating or replacing the 4" Cake this year or next? My wife and I are long time Fisher riders and looking for new rides. We've been looking at the Trance 2 (Too Heavy), Rush 1000's (Don't like the Lefty), FSR's (Nope) but seem to keep coming back to the Fisher/Trek lines (Like the Fuel EX) for various reasons. It seems as though the only bikes Fisher hasn't updated are the Cakes which sit right between the Race Days and Fat Possums, of which both look great and are single pivot. Can anyone tell us anything, is something new and great lurking in the works...?

Ever tried a Lefty? Best front suspension on the market IMO. Lighter, stiffer (regular forks feel like they were made of Jell-O after you ride a Lefty), illimited mud clearance, no crappy bushings to wear out, they can last a long time with minimal care.

Ever tried a Lefty? Best front suspension on the market IMO. Lighter, stiffer (regular forks feel like they were made of Jell-O after you ride a Lefty), illimited mud clearance, no crappy bushings to wear out, they can last a long time with minimal care.

Thanks for your reply Dan, but I guess you just didn't read my thread completely. Don't like the lefty... Ridden it, don't like it, or I would not have written my opinion above. Very glad you enjoy it and it works for you though!

Sorry, I didn't catch you tried it... and I still don't see it, looking and trying are two different things to me I guess.

But again (did you get MY post? First sentence), I think the Cakes will be here for a while. The Race Days are more or less replacing the aging Sugars and the Fat Possums are supplying the market demands of a new trend...

The Cakes were introduced in 04 to address the all-mountain trend taht was becoming more popular. Fisher lacked such a bike then. Now they have it and the Cakes have been updated this year to take care of many issues the first revision had (fragile, no stand over clearance, bad cable routing, bad bearings in the pivot). I think there are still chainsuck issues for some but it wasn't that bad on my 04 Cake with a Shimano crankset... Not worse than any Genesis geometry bike or other short chainstays bikes out there. I think the Cake is a very decent bike now and they will be around for a while. Take a test drive and don't worry if they change the model 3 years from now.

Sorry, I didn't catch you tried it... and I still don't see it, looking and trying are two different things to me I guess.

Your correct, I did mean that we had tried them or it... Just wasn't meant to be taken so literally.

Originally Posted by Dan Gerous

But again (did you get MY post? First sentence), I think the Cakes will be here for a while. The Race Days are more or less replacing the aging Sugars and the Fat Possums are supplying the market demands of a new trend...

The Fat Possums are classified in the Fisher website as an all-mountain bike which is exactly what the Cakes were called when they first came out on the market, now segmented into the new "Trail" category. I'm confused then as why would Fisher spend so much time designing a completely new 5" travel all mountain ride if they weren't looking at nuking the 5" DLX versions which leaves only the 4" Cake left for a redesign. Maybe the name will stay, although I really don't think the design will be around for much longer. Fisher has always done things a bit differently.

Originally Posted by Dan Gerous

The Cakes were introduced in 04 to address the all-mountain trend taht was becoming more popular. Fisher lacked such a bike then. Now they have it and the Cakes have been updated this year to take care of many issues the first revision had (fragile, no stand over clearance, bad cable routing, bad bearings in the pivot). I think there are still chainsuck issues for some but it wasn't that bad on my 04 Cake with a Shimano crankset... Not worse than any Genesis geometry bike or other short chainstays bikes out there. I think the Cake is a very decent bike now and they will be around for a while. Take a test drive and don't worry if they change the model 3 years from now.

We have test driven the Cakes and they are very fine rides, I just don't think they'll be around next year. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the Cakes were shown to shop owners in late 02 and in shops early 03. Since then the market has been diluted once again with another "category" of bike... Race, "Trail", All Mountain, Big Hit, ect. The market has created a new name for every new inch of suspension travel gained. To be competitive I truly believe Fisher is realigning itself to fit said market.

This is why I posted this thread, curiosity... I want to know whats around the corner for Fisher don't you? Not to debate the absolutely fine qualities of the existing Cake model. One thing I think we could definetely agree on is that we like our Fishers!

The first Cakes were 2004 model year bikes. Shown in 03 but only available in early 04 (I know, I waited a long time for mine). You may be right though, every company has to refresh the products to remain in the game, or simply so magazine can review their bikes more often...

Although I agree the Cake is a fine bike, Genesis was not for me and I was put off by the many issues my 1st generation Cake had so I don't ride a Fisher no more... I wasn't impressed by the build quality of the bike.

Although I agree the Cake is a fine bike, Genesis was not for me and I was put off by the many issues my 1st generation Cake had so I don't ride a Fisher no more... I wasn't impressed by the build quality of the bike.

Then why Dan Gerous, if you don't ride your Cake anymore, are you contributing to this thread? I'm really looking for some real insight as to what might be coming around the corner. Not meaningless thread drift...

It doesn't mean I don't care about them and that I can't contribute. Are we just allowed to post in the forum of the bikes we currently ride? I know a lot about the company and have much experience with the brand, I was riding a Cake for a year (and have tried many other Fishers) and your thread title got me because I am still curious about Fishers and Cakes. So if you prefer, forget everything I said and just read this: only Trek/Fisher insiders would know at this point when they will replace the Cake... and I don't think they would be allowed to post about it here. Good luck with your choice.

Fat Possum's are 6" travel bikes. Cakes DLX is 5" and Cake is 4". Race Day is 3". Seems to mirror most other big companies offerings. The Fat Possum isn't replacing the Cake, it's just that "All-Mountain" has turned into 6", while the industry has re-classified 5" as "trail bike" and 4" is now endurance racing territory.

Look at Specialized- 6" Enduro is All-Mountain, 5" Stumpjumper is a trailbike, 4" Epic is a race bike.

The definitions have changed, and rather than change the bike travel, Fisher just re-classified the bikes.

Just pick the amount of travel you want and most bike companies these days have you covered within half an inch! Classification names are mostly for marketing purposes anyway. The good thing is, never had we so much choice!

I noticed the Fisher web site doesn't give head and seat angles anymore or did I just missed it? What are the angles on the Fat Possum? I know the Cakes were very XCish 70.5 - 72.5... I'm guessing the Possums have slacker head angles.

It seems as though the only bikes Fisher hasn't updated are the Cakes which sit right between the Race Days and Fat Possums, of which both look great and are single pivot. Can anyone tell us anything, is something new and great lurking in the works...?

Cakelurk

I doubt the Cake is going anywhere soon. The original problems of standover and pivot bearings have been fixed. I raced mine for a year, used it for every trainng ride, fun ride, salty road ride and still it works like new. I bought new bearings for the pivot about 8 months ago but still have yet to install them. Halfway through 05 the Cakes went from 2 to 3 main piviot bearings and the top tube was dropped about an inch. Its now a solid bike that even some pros race on the cross country circuit. I got my Cake 3 down below 25lbs with crosmax sl wheels. (far from the lightest). I have never experienced any chainsuck problems either. I think this was due to the original sloppy main pivot on the 04 bikes.

I doubt the Cake is going anywhere soon. The original problems of standover and pivot bearings have been fixed. I raced mine for a year, used it for every trainng ride, fun ride, salty road ride and still it works like new. I bought new bearings for the pivot about 8 months ago but still have yet to install them. Halfway through 05 the Cakes went from 2 to 3 main piviot bearings and the top tube was dropped about an inch. Its now a solid bike that even some pros race on the cross country circuit. I got my Cake 3 down below 25lbs with crosmax sl wheels. (far from the lightest). I have never experienced any chainsuck problems either. I think this was due to the original sloppy main pivot on the 04 bikes.

Weren't chainsuck caused by the combination of crappy Bontrager chainrings and the severe angle the chain can have in certain gear combos on a shart chainstay bike? I know I never had much chainsuck problems on my original 04 Cake with a XT crankset and using correct gear combos. Only had a few chainsucks at the end of very muddy rides...

Perhaps it is the combo of rings and gears, I know sloppy main piviots can contribute as well. I ride The big/ big combo on mine often with no problems. fsa k force crank, xtr cassette, hollow pin chain.

Perhaps it is the combo of rings and gears, I know sloppy main piviots can contribute as well. I ride The big/ big combo on mine often with no problems. fsa k force crank, xtr cassette, hollow pin chain.

The important thing is, the issues seems to have been fixed, which should make it a great bike. I personnally didn't like Genesis geometry and had many of the original issues so I didn't like the Cake too much but for those who like Genesis, current Cakes are a great choice for a trail bike.

Big Bad Bradski

The mid '05 changes to the Cake transformed it into a reliable ride. I had to get my frame replaced after so many rear pivot issues and I'm completely satified with the new frame. Fisher finally got this thing dialed in! Chainsuck was never really an issue for me but, as Dan said, it went away completely with XT cranks. I wouldn't think Fisher would change much with the Cake for a while. Dan knows the Cake well, and his comments are always welcome.

You come off a little pushy TeleInTheHead, relax and be nice. Piper is right, I learned a lot from Dan's posts. I doubt thtat anyone here knows for sure what Fisher is up to next year.

... and just to piss you off, personally I don't think the Cake is going to change again next year. There is no reason for it. And one more, you should really look at the Lefty again, it really is a great fork.

... and just to piss you off, personally I don't think the Cake is going to change again next year. There is no reason for it. And one more, you should really look at the Lefty again, it really is a great fork.

And your comment is... umm, any better? At least I haven't lowered myself "intentionally" to try and piss anyone off RIT. And if your trying to piss me off, your going to have to try a whole lot harder. At least Piper can show some class and remind me of Dan Gerous's valued comments in a fashionable manor. All I did was ask a SPECIFIC question about the CAKE, in the FISHER, TREK & KLEIN forum, not the Cannondale forum. If I wanted Dan Gerous to tell me all about the Lefty I'll gladly go to the Cannondale forum. Also, I never said the Lefty was a bad fork, in fact it's a fine fork, I just didn't like it and it's just not for me (If you took the time to read the post). And like many other forums, thread's have a tendency to get swayed off course by everyones own valued opinions about... whatever (i.e. Dan's valued comments). And twice I asked politely if we could get back to the original question. I could care less if Fisher isn't changing the Cake. What I do care about is if they are... I don't want to buy a new bike that will be gone next year. Thanks for your valued reply and get back to your training... Jeez!

TeleInTheHead: if you need a 4/5" travel FS bike from Fisher now, get the current Cake. Bikes are like cars or computers or most consumer products: companies will change the products every X years or so and if you absolutly need the latest and are afraid that it will get replaced by something else eventually, you'll never get a bike. And from what I learned with Fisher, I would rather have a bike design that is a few years old but that has been updated and deflawed like the current Cakes than a less than perfect first season product with many bugs.

I only talked about the Leftys and Cannondales because YOU talked about it in your original post and because I personnally believe from my experience that it is truly a superior product. It might not be to everyone and I respect that, no need to get cranky about it everybody.

Also TeleInTheHead, I answered your question in the first reply I gave but I can type it again: nobody knows when the Cakes will be replaced. It now is a great bike for those who like the Genesis geometry, get one if you want a good trailbike by Fisher, if not, wait, ride your current bike and have fun with this one, release the aggressivity on the trails. Happy riding to you and everyone else here!

At least I haven't lowered myself "intentionally" to try and piss anyone off RIT.

Relax buddy. You're concentrating on the wrong end of my post. I think it is pretty obvious that nobody knows for sure what Fisher has planed for the Cake. Which makes your questions kind of pointless. But since speculations and rumors are part of this forum, that's OK.

What's not OK, IMO, is the way you try to "force" people into answering your (let me say that again: pointless) question.

Dan is just trying to help you, but you brushed him off a couple of times during this thread. If I'm not mistaken, you have contributed like 7 posts to this forum, Dan over 2,500. I think a little respect is in order. And that is pretty much the biggest problem I have with your post. Please, re-read your posts and think about it for a second.